Chiwetel Ejiofor in Talks to Play Peter the Apostle in Mary Magdalene Movie

The Oscar nominee would join Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix in the biblical biopic.

Chiwetel Ejiofor is in talks to join Mary Magdalene as Peter the Apostle.

If cast, the Oscar nominee will star opposite Rooney Mara as Magdalene and Joaquin Phoenix as Jesus Christ in the Garth Davis-directed film, which is being described as an "authentic and humanistic portrait of one of the most enigmatic and misunderstood spiritual figures in history."

Peter was one of Jesus' 12 apostles who, upon Jesus' arrest and later crucifixion, infamously denied him three times. He was later forgiven and acted as a leader in the early Christian Church and is recognized as the first Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

Helen Edmundson and Philippa Goslett wrote the script for the production, which will be helmed by Davis. Production company See-Saw Films (The King's Speech) is producing the project, which they co-developed with Film4. Universal Pictures International Productions is backing the project and domestic distribution is coming from The Weinstein Company.

Ejiofor, who garnered an Oscar nomination for his starring role in 12 Years a Slave, has had a recent string of roles in sci-fi and action movies, including Ridley Scott's The Martian and the bank robber film Triple 9. He will next be seen opposite Benedict Cumberbatch in Marvel's Doctor Strange.